Washer for producer-gas generators.



P. G. SCHMIDT & W. W. GORE.

WASHER FOR PRODUCER GAS GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1909.

1,076,158, Patented 0Gt.21,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

attouw g o P. G. SCHMIDT & W. W. GORE. WASHER FOR PRODUCER GASGENERATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 10, 1909.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PETER G. SCHMIDT AND WARREN W. GORE, OFOLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

WASHER FOR PRODUCER-GAS GENERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21,1913.

Application filed December 10, 1909. Serial No. 532,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER G. SCHMIDT and WARREN W. GORE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Olympia, in the county of Thurston, Stateof Washington, have invented a new and useful Washer for Producer-GasGenerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in washers for producer gasgenerators and more particularly to the portion of the machine known asthe scrubber, and the object of the invention is to produce a. means forthe extraction of tar and other heavy matters from the gas and at thesame time cool the'gas, and furthermore to provide a means for therecovery of the tar and like combustible matters for use, all in onecompact, self-contained apparatus.

' In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a casinglocated closely adjacent to the producer furnace and connected therewithby a short straight length of pipe opening into the interior of thecasing into a chamber divided oft from the main portion of thecasing bya baflie plate extending across the casing at one side of a diameterthereof, the top of the receiving chamber thus formed being closed bythe top of the casing, while the bottom of the chamber opens into the.main portion of the casing through a water seal formed by a body ofwater supported by a horizontal partition Within the casing dividing theinterior thereof into an upper and a lower chamber.

The gas from the producer furnace finds its way into the main portion ofthe upper chamber to be there subjected to the cooling action of watersprays and ultimately to pass through a gas washer or mechanicalpurifier on its way to the point of utilization or storage. The'lowerchamber within the casing is utilized for the purpose of receiving thewaste wash water, tar and other heavy matters extracted from the gas,and in one form of the invention this lower chamber is provided withmeans for separating the tar from the water carrying the same so thatthe tar may be carried to a point of utilization.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed. description taken co nection with the accompanyingdrawings forminga part furnace in section and elevation. Fig. 2 is asection on the line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line C-D ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a portion of the bottom of thebaffle plate or diaphragm within the scrubber casing. Fig. 5 is a viewof a modified form of the waste wash water and tar receiving chamber ofthe scrubber.

Referring to the drawings, there is displayed a portion of a gasproducerfurnace 1 which may be of any suitable type and therefore is notshown in detail. Adjacent to the producer furnace, there is located acylindrical casing 2 connectednear the top with the upper end of theinterior of the furnace by a short straight horizontal pipe 3. Theinterior of the casing 2 is divided into an upper compartment l and alower compartment 5 by a horizontal partition 6, and the uppercompartment 4 is separated from the entrance point of the pipe 3- intothe casing by a vertical partition 7 extending from the top 8 of thecasing to a point close to but separated from the upper surface of thehorizontal partition 6, the lower edge 9 of the partition or diaphragm 7being prefer: ably of wavy contour as shown in Fig. 4.

Supported in the diaphragm 7 and at a corresponding point in one wall ofthe casing 2 in line with the longitudinal axis of the pipe 3, is a tube10, through which extends a rod 11 having one end within the chamber 12formed by the plate or partition 7 and the adjacent wall of the casing2, and this end of the rod carries a scraping blade 13. The other end ofthe rod passes through a gland 14 to the exterior of the casing and isthere provided with a manipulating handle 15. This rod may be readilymoved in the direction of its length to carry the scraper 13 into thepipe 3 and by a suitable manipulation of the rod, the pipe 3 may bereadily cleansed of any deposited matter therein. Extending through thewall of the casing 2 and into the chamber 12 is apipe 16, constitutingwhat is known as a purge pipe, which-is provided with a valve 17 andrises to an appropriate distance where it is opened to the atmosphere.

Extending across the chamber ,5 at an appropriate pointis a verticalpartition or plate 18 spaced on one side with an insulating piece 19 ofwood or other suitable material. Separated from the partition 18 isanother like partition 20 in substantially parallel relation to thepartition or plate 18 and like the same connected to the side walls ofthe casing 2, but the upper edge of the partition 20 is at a lower levelthan the upper edge of the partition or plate 18. The compartment 5 isthereby divided into a receptacle 21 between the partition 18 and thewall of the casing on the side of the partition remote from theinsulating material 19, into another receptacle 22 between thepartitions 18 and 20, but of less capacity than the receptacle 21, andfinally into another receptacle 23 between the partition 20 and theadjacent wall of the casing 2.

- The horizontal partition 6 is pierced by an appropriate passage fromwhich leads a pipe 2 L extending a distance downward into the receptacle21 but not to the bottom thereof. The pipe 24 is continued up into thecompartment 4 by either an extension thereof or by a separate'pipe 25lodged frictionally or screwed into the pipe 24;. The pipe 25 is of alength suflicient to insure the proper depth of the water seal 26resting on the partition 6, and which is of sufficient depth to extendan appropriate distance up along the sides of the partition or plate 7.

The bottom of the casing coincident with the receptacle 21 is pierced bya suitable opening through which there is extended a pipe 27, the upperend of which terminates a short distance below the upper end of thepartition or plate 18, and the lower end of which may lead to a sewer orother suitable point of disposition of such contents of the. receptacle21 as it may be desirable to have escape.

The pipe 27 within the receptacle 21 is surrounded by another pipe orcylinder 28 having upper ends above the upper edge of the partition orplate 18 but separated from the bottom of the horizontal partition 6.The lower end of the pipe 28 is provided with a circular series ofpassages so that the interior of the pipe at this point is in freecommunication with the receptacle 21, or the pipe may be supported abovethe bottom of the casing on appropriate legs. The bottom of the casing 2is also perforated by a suitable passage coincident with the compartment22 and through this passage there extends a pipe 29 having its upper endbelow the upper edge of the partition or plate 20 and its lower endextending to any suitable point of disposition of the contents of thereceptacle 22 which it is desirable should escape. The pipe 29 may beconsiderably smaller than the pipe 27 and like the latter is surroundedby another pipe 30 communicating at its lower end with the interior ofthe receptacle 22 and at its upper end extending above the top of thepartition 20. The pipe 28 is sufliciently large in interior diameter tobe spaced from the exterior of the pipe 27 and the pipe 30 is ofsufficiently large interior diameter to be spaced from the pipe 29.Leading from the compartment 23 through a suitable passage in the bottomof the casing 2 is a pipe 31, the purpose of which will hereinafterappear.

\Vithin the receptacle 22 there may be lodged a heating coil 32 whichhowever may be replaced by any other suitable heating means for raisingthe temperature of the contents of the receptacle 22, and consequentlythe heating coil 32 is to be taken as typical or illustrative of anysuitable means. Leading out from the compartment 5 through the walls ofthe casing 2 is a pipe 33 constituting a vent pipe, and which may becarried to a suitable height and be there opened to the atmosphere.Access to the compartments 4: and 5 is had through suitable man holes 34and 35 respectively covered by the usual plates. the casing 2 is a gaswasher 36 which need not further herein be considered than to state thatthe washer is designed to treat the gas directly, as received from thecompartment 4, to the action of a highly divided liquid, preferablywater, intermingled by the action of centrifugal force with the gas thusthoroughly cleansing it from extraneous matters, and the wash water usedin the gas washer 36 then passes through a port 37 or by a pipe 37 tothe Water seal 26 into which the said pipe dips for an appropriatedistance. By mounting the gas washer directly on the top of the casing2, space is economized and gas pipe connections obviated. From the gaswasher, the gas passes by way of a main 38 to the point of utilizationor storage and this means includes a suitable valve 39. Branched offfrom the washer 36 at the point of junction therewith of the main 38 isa purge pipe 40 including a Valve 41.

The gas washer 36 has a rotatable member driven at high speed and thisproduces a suction through the scrubber. If it be presumed that theapparatus is about to start then the valve 41 will be opened and thevalve 39 closed. The suction thus produced is sufficient to cause thenecessary draftthrough the furnace 1 and blowers may therefore beomitted. After the furnace is properly started then the valve 41 isclosed and the valve 39 is opened, and when the main 38 leads to anexplosion engine ofproper size, then the suction of the engine willcause the operation of the gas producer machine.

Lodged on top of The gas generated in the furnace 1 passes through thepipe 3 into the chamber 12 and thence through the water seal 26 into thechamber 4, some of the condensable matters being deposited on the wallsof the chamber 12 to find their way by gravity to the water seal, andother condensable matters being precipitated by sprays of waterfromspray pipes 42 traversing the chamber 4 in the usual manner.

Practically all condensable matters which may still remain in the gaswhen it reaches the washer 36 are extracted thereby and then pass intothe water seal through the pipe 37 as an emulsified mass of water andtarry material which ultimately,--together with water coming from thespray pipes 42' and tarry materials deposited in the chambers 12 and 4find their way through the pipe 25 into the pipe 24 and so into thereceptacle 21 where the tarry matters soon float to the top of waterwithin the receptacle 21 and form a layer thereon, the water findingescape through the interior of the pipe 28 to the top of the pipe 27 anddown the same to the point of disposal. The

tarry matters and such water as may be entrained pass over the top ofthe plate or diaphragm 18 and find their way into the compartment 22. Inthis last named compartment the tar again finds its level on top of thewater within the compartment, the

said water ultimately escaping through the pipe'29 and the tarry mattersfinding escape over the upper edge of the diaphragm or plate 20. As thetarry matters flow over the plate or diaphragm 18 and into thecompartment 22 the tar is largely mixed with water and more or lessemulsified forming a frothy composition. Heat from the coil 32, or fromany other suitable' thereof or the entire absence of such material, thenthe compartment 5 may be free from division plates or partitions asindicated in Fig. 5 and the plpe 24 will simply open at the lower endnear the bottom of the casing 2 while one side of the casing will have apassage 43 therethrough a dis tance above the bottom of the casing whichpassage opens into a side compartment 44 communicating with a waste pipe45 and provided with a cover 46 for ready access to the compartment 44.Water passing into the compartment 5 forms a water seal for the bottomof the pipe 25 while excess water flows into I the compartment 44 andout,

through the waste pipe 25 carrying with it all foreign matters extractedfrom the gas and finding their way into the compartment 5 through thepipe 24. i

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas producing apparatus, a scrubber having means for providing awater seal therein, and a centrifugal gas washer mounted on top of thescrubber and directly communicating therewith and having a discharge orwaste conduit leading into the scrubber into operative'relation to thewater seal.

2. Ina gas producing apparatus, a scrubber, a) gas washer mounteddirectly on top of thescrubber and directly communicating with theinterior of the scrubber, a valved gas main communicating with theoutlet side of the gas washer, and a valved purge pipe connected alsowith the outlet side of the gas washer.

3. In a gas producer apparatus, a gas producer furnace, a scrubberadjacent thereto, a straight pipe connection between the furnace andscrubber, a partition within the scrubber extending downward from thetopthereof opposite the opening communicating with the pipe connecting thescrubber with the furnace, a scraper head located in the 5 space betweenthe partition and the pipe 9 overflowing at the division wall into thenext succeeding one, one receptacle communicating with the uppercompartment, certain of the receptacles having combined overflow andoverflow conduits for heavier fluid to cause the lighter fluids to passfrom one receptacle to the other over the division wall and the last oneof the series of receptacles in order, having a conduit for the escapeof the overflow of lighter fluids from the preceding receptacle.

5. In a gas producer apparatus,a scrubber having superposed compartmentswith a diaphragm in the upper compartment separating the inlet for thegas from the outlet thereof and provided with a water seal, and a tarseparating means in the lower compartment connected with the uppercompartment by a conduit water sealed 1n the lower compartment, saidlower compartment being provided with overflow receptacles for theseparation of the tar from the water carrying the same.

6. In a gas producer apparatus,ascrubber comprising a suitable casingseparated into superposed compartments by a horizontal partition andhaving the upper compartment divided into receiving and dischargeportions by .a vertical partition, means for causing a water seal forthe lower edge of the vertical partition, a gas washer carried by thetop of the scrubber and provided with a waste conduit leading to thewater seal portion of the upper compartment, and overflow receptacles inthe lower compartment. each having outlet means below the overflow levelof the respective receptacles.

T. In a gas producer apparatus, a scrubber having superposedcompartments with a diaphragm in the upper compartment separating theinlet for the gas from the outlet therefor and provided with a waterseal, and a tar separating means in the lower compartment connected withthe upper compartment by a conduit water sealed in the lowercompartment, said lower compartment being provided with overflowreceptacles for 1,07e,1aa

the separation of the tar from the water carrying the same, one of saidreceptacles belng provided With heating means to tacilitate theseparation of entrained water from the tar.

8. In a gas producer apparatus, a scrubber comprisinga suitable casinghaving gas inlet and outlet passages, and an interior partitionextending downward from the top of the casing in chord relation to theWalls of the casing and adjacent to the gas inlet thereto, and a valvedpurge pipe con nected to said casing on the gas inlet side of saidpartition.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

PETER G. SCHMIDT. WARREN IV. GQRE.

Witnesses:

IV. A. KEARNS, E. FFosrER.

